


Toronto Visit

by Katybug1992



Series: All In The Family [2]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, M/M, healthy relationship with allusions to unhealthy moments, off-screen violence and death, part of a series but can be read as a stand alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:07:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24155581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katybug1992/pseuds/Katybug1992
Summary: What people don't understand about the Toronto family is that Mitch isn't just the pretty face on Auston Matthews' arm. He's the brain.
Relationships: Alexander Kerfoot/Kasperi Kapanen (mentioned), Mitch Marner & Dylan Strome, Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews, Robert Thomas/Matthew Tkachuk
Series: All In The Family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621252
Comments: 3
Kudos: 38





	Toronto Visit

Mitch knew people underestimated him. He tended to stay in the shadows of Auston and Willy. And that worked to his benefit. It worked to his benefit to have people think he was the calming voice in Willy’s ear. It definitely worked to his benefit to have people think he was just Auston’s boytoy. And he could play that part beautifully, enjoyed playing the role of Arm Candy - people would tell him anything because they were under the assumption that he wouldn’t know what to do with that information...or understand what they were talking about. Because he was a pretty face. It worked to his benefit...until faced with someone who knew otherwise.

He opened the door to the library in the Manor the Toronto family was based out of to find Robert Thomas and Matthew Tkachuk sitting across from Auston. He let himself be confused for a minute before a large grin broke out because he may be one of the three leaders of the Family but those were still two of his older friends and they knew him. They knew Mitch Marner for who he is. Smart. Calculating. Deadly if crossed.

“What are you guys doing here?” Mitch asked, hugging Matthew quickly before pulling Robby in and looking him over, “You’re all grown up, Robby!”

“It’s only been five years, Mitchy.” Robby rolled his eyes, but practically fell into the hug.

“Saint Louis treating you well?” Mitch asked, poking at a bruise on Robby’s arm.

“Yeah,” Robby grinned, “Jaden is taking me on as his apprentice. Thinks I’ll be good at it.”

“He is one of the best.” Mitch nodded, draping himself across Auston’s lap as Robby takes his seat again and noting that Matthew is choosing to stand behind Robby rather than sitting in the chair next to him, “What brings you and Chucky here?”

“There have been whispers.” Robby replied, “Whispers that have Jaden concerned, which has Petro concerned. It takes a lot to shake up Jaden.”

“You sure it wasn’t just on top of the Nashville stuff?” Auston raised an eyebrow.

“Jaden knows better than that.” Robby responded, eyes narrowing, “He wouldn’t have sent me if he didn’t think there was something to the whispers. Hell, he wouldn’t have even told Petro about it if he didn’t think there was something there.”

“And what are these whispers?” Auston raised an eyebrow.

“That you’re consolidating support behind yourself. That you’re planning to overthrow Tavares.”

“Can’t overthrow someone over half of our group doesn’t see as their Captain.”

“Petro and Jaden wanted me to let you know that you have our support. Petro has developed a close relationship with Reilly and was expecting him to be the one to take over. He and Tavares… they’ve never seen eye-to-eye.”

“Really?”

“Why do you think he got out of Toronto as soon as he could? He avoided dealing with Long Island as much as possible. It’s not that he’s scared of Tavares, more that he doesn’t respect him enough to pretend that he cares that Tavares is his ‘equal’.”

“And he sees me as his equal?”

“He sees Reilly as his equal. But, knowing that Reilly has been grooming you to take over, he respects you enough.”

“Enough?”

“Reilly has earned Petro’s respect, you haven’t yet. Not completely. Matthew put in a good word for you, Walt put in an okay word for you, Jaden thinks you have a little more growing up to do but ultimately thinks you’ll be the leader you have the potential to be.”

“I feel like I should be offended by that last one.”

“I wouldn’t,” Matthew spoke up, “Jaden is brutally honest in all of his assessments, but it’s a compliment to you that he landed on ‘you have potential’, it’s pretty high praise from him. He still says that Robby here has potential and yet still elected to send him here to talk to you..”

Before Auston could respond, the doors flew open and Dylan Strome stormed into the room.

“Matthews!”

Mitch immediately jumped up and intercepted Dylan, shooting Auston a suspicious glare, “What happened?”

“My cover got fucking blow in Arizona because Kappy fucked up the hit Auston ordered!” Dylan replied, “By the way, he blew up the wrong fucking building! Again!”

“He got his mark the second time.” Auston responded with a shrug.

“That’s not the point!” Dylan fired back.

“I see Jaden’s was saying about you having some growing up to do and having potential.” Robby narrowed his eyes.

“What did he accidentally blow up?” Mitch asked Dylan, tone light but with an edge, “Was anyone hurt?”

“It was the house down the street from the mark.” Dylan responded, “Thankfully, the family was gone and didn’t have any pets.”

“We’ll buy them a new house.” Mitch replied, “I’ll get Alexander on it right away and Auston will talk to Kappy about making sure he double checks locations before rigging them to explode.”

“It’s not the first time he’s screwed. He’s going to hurt innocent people.” Dylan muttered to Mitch.

“I’ll fix it.” Mitch replied, “I always fix it.”

“Well maybe you should take over.”

“I’m the accessory, Dylan, that’s all people have ever seen me as. I’m not meant to lead.”

Dylan gave him a look that clearly said they would be talking later and left.

“Auston.”

“I know, Mitchy, I’ll talk to Kappy.”

“If they start to think he’s unstable, that puts an even bigger target on his head.”

“I know.”

“And if you don’t do anything, then Dylan will go to Edmonton and I’ll be alone with my two best friends on the other side of the country.”

Because even if Mitch was so loved by the Family, and he loved them back just as strongly, a piece of him was in Edmonton with Connor and Dylan held another piece. They always would. The three had come up together. Connor had been trying to get him and Dylan to join him in Alberta for years. Dylan stayed because of Mitch, so he would have one person he didn’t have to pretend around, and Mitch stayed because he was part of the Family’s future. Dylan could leave. He could go wherever he wanted. Mitch couldn’t leave. And everyone knew that.

“Robby,” Mitch turned to the younger man, “take a walk with me.”

Robby got up and moved to join Mitch and Chucky went to follow and that’s when Mitch knew why Matthew was there. He tried to keep the shock out of his voice as he said, “Just Robby, Chucky, I’m not going to hurt him.”

“No offense, Marns,” Matthew replied, “it’s not you I’m worried about.”

“Robby is a Toronto kid,” Mitch’s eyes flashed, “he’s safe here. Just as you are safe in St. Louis.”

“Being a Toronto kid doesn’t mean shit when it comes to protection and you know it.” Matthew fired back. After all, Tavares was a Toronto kid and Mitch was - at the very least - complacent in the plans to usurp him. 

“Chucky, you have my word - as your friend - that I won’t let any harm come to Robby.” Mitch replied earnestly, “I need to give him information to give to Schwartz and I hope he has some he can pass on to me.”

Robby turned and took the few steps back to Matthew, placing a hand on his cheek and said, “I’ll be okay. You should catch up with Matthews. I can take care of myself. Jaden made sure of that before even thinking about sending me.”

“Fifteen minutes.” Matthew sighed, fixing Mitch with a warning look, “If he’s not back here in fifteen minutes -”

“Fifteen minutes.” Mitch agreed with a nod.

They were out in the garden before Mitch spoke, “Why is Petro throwing his support behind Auston?”

“Reilly was a known variable,” Robby replied, “Petro knows how Reilly ran things, knows that he had been somewhat training Matthews to take over for him eventually, knows that part of Reilly’s known variable would have passed over to Matthews. But Tavares is an unknown. He may have run Long Island but everyone in their right mind knows that Long Island doesn’t do anything with New York’s say so. Out from under the thumb of Lundqvist, no one knows what Tavares wants, what his motives are, how he’ll respond to anything. It’s better to know who you’re dealing with, at least on the base level.”

“Schwartz tell you that?”

“Along with Walt,” Robby replied, not looking over at his old friend, the man who had been his mentor when he first got started - before his parents were murdered and Walt brought him to St. Louis. He just observed Mitch for a minute before saying, “Are you happy here?”

“It’s home.” Mitch replied, in the careful way he always had when he wanted whoever he was talking to to believe the lie.

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“It’s home. And I love the Family. It’s just…” Mitch trailed off and bit his lip as he looked over the garden full of flowers that he had carefully selected, “I’m Auston’s arm candy. And I’m good at that role - the Mob wife role. Eichel told Auston I was born for that role. I run the household here. People tell me their secrets because they just think of me as a pretty face and think me stupid. And I know I’m not….but if enough people think that, it becomes true. And I can’t be an effective Second if people think I’m stupid.”

“Jaden isn’t Petro’s second,” Robby replied, “Only a couple of the Families have their ‘Encyclopedia’ as their Second - Chicago, Philly, Dallas, and Washington are the only ones that come to mind. And anyone who actually knows anything knows you’re the brains behind Matthews. That you keep Nylander and Kapanen from going off the deep end. Which leads me to the real question: Why aren’t you completely sold on Matthews’ plan.”

“I’m sold on it.” Mitch pushed back, “I came up with most of it - the details.”

“Then why do you get that look on your face whenever it’s mentioned?”

“What look?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Marner,” Robby fired back, “You trained me. I know you.”

“When Auston brought it up...I automatically responded with ‘well, this would be how you would do it’...I didn’t think he would really do it. But then he started talking about it for real and I love him, you know? I would do anything to keep him from getting himself killed. So I took a really hard look at the plan we had only talked about and tweaked it to perfection. When Auston says the word, it’ll happen and it’ll succeed. Because nothing I plan fails. Never has.”

“But you have doubts.”

“There are times when I think that Auston is a great leader. But then there are times when I wonder if he’s ready…”

Robby just nodded, grateful for a Captain like Petro - was steady and, most importantly, completely stable - grown under the influence of names like Pronger, MacInnis, Tkachuk, Jackman.

And Robby knew when not to push for more information, knew when he wasn’t going to get it or when the subject would be unwilling to provide more. Again, Jaden made sure he was ready before sending him on this trip.

“We should get you back to your boyfriend.” Mitch cleared his throat and led the way back to the house, “Will you be staying here? We have the room.”

“No,” Robby shook his head, “Petro got us a hotel room for the night, we fly out in the morning.”

“He doesn’t trust you’re safe in the house?”

“More he wants to give me and Matty time alone, out from under the watchful eye of Walt.”

Mitch relaxed at that and laughed. Keith Tkachuk was nothing if not protective of Robby.

Mitch and Auston walked their guests to the door and Mitch hugged Robby, then Matthew, then Robby again before letting them leave.

“You okay?” Auston asked, looking over at Mitch.

“I have to go find Dylan,” Mitch responded, heading toward the grand staircase.

“Mitch,” Auston’s voice had a hard edge to it that made Mitch freeze in place, “I said I was sorry. I said I would talk to Kappy. What else do you want me to do?”

“Be the leader you say you’re ready to be,” Mitch hissed out, “Be the leader I know you can be.”

Before Auston could respond, Mitch was up the stairs and heading to the room Dylan usually stayed in when he was at the House - the room that was technically Mitch’s but where he only slept if he was pissed at Auston.

“You’re still here.” Mitch tried not to sound so relieved when he saw Dylan unpacking his suitcase.

“I wouldn’t leave you here alone, Marns,” Dylan replied, expression finally relaxing all the way now that it was just him and his longtime friend as Mitch shut the door firmly and flipped the lock.

“I wouldn’t be alone.”

“Yes, you would.” Dylan’s expression was pained, “I’m the only one here you talk to about everything, that you’re not afraid to talk to about how you feel about everything and everyone and I can’t leave you here alone.”

Mitch didn’t respond right away, just settled himself on the bed, back against the headboard, “Do you think Auston’s ready?

His voice was so soft, as if worried that the pictures on the walls would hear him and tell Auston that he had doubts. Dylan sighed and climbed onto the bed next to him, “No, I don’t. I think he’s still too willing to let others make messes that you have to clean up. ‘I’ll talk to Kappy’ is something I’ve heard him say countless times without it ever working. You, on the hand? You, I can see being ready to lead. You always fix things, if you put the fear of God into Kapanen, I bet it would stick. Mitchy...Auston has ideas, but you… you’re the one that makes those ideas happen. Without you… he’s nothing.”

“That’s not true.”

“You always do this, you always have.” Dylan sighed, “You are one of the greatest minds I know. Davo says the same thing. If he needs to try to figure out what Toronto’s thinking, he looks at you and what you’re doing.”

“Me? I’m flirting information out of unsuspecting people. Not a very helpful guidepost.”

“Mitchy… no one here sees you as useless. No one here sees you as Auston’s arm candy. Everyone here respects the shit out of you and looks to you for guidance when no one else seems to be forthcoming with any information, any plan of action. You do so much to keep morale up, we all look to you.”

“...I yelled at Auston before I came up here...well, sternly talked to.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him that he needed to start acting like the leader I know he can be.”

“You’re right, you know that, right, Mitchy?”

“I’m worried that he thinks I’m comparing him to Connor in my head.”

“...are you?” Dylan glances over at Mitch, who keeps his gaze firmly set on the sprawling grounds outside the window, “I’ve never heard you say those words out loud, but that doesn’t mean you’re not thinking them.”

“Everyone compares their leaders to their first, you know?” Mitch replied, “And even though Connor was never really my Captain...the three of us were inseparable for a long time. I never expected you to choose to stay here...with me.”

“Marns,” Dylan sighed, closing his eyes and pulling Mitch against him, tucking the younger man’s head into his neck, “we weren’t going to leave you here alone. Never in a million years.”

“I would have been fine.” Mitch replied, slightly muffled against Dylan’s neck, “I’m stronger than I look.”

“I know you are. And Connor knows you are. But, when you first joined the Family...they didn’t know. And we were worried that they would try to break you, to make you into a different person or try to make you just the Mob Wife. You showed them that you can play several roles and while outsiders may just see you as Auston’s boy, we all know you’re much more dangerous, more deadly, then anyone will know.”

“I wanted to kill the guy who killed Robby’s family.” Mitch admitted, “I wanted to torture him first, make him feel the pain that Robby would have to live with forever. But Auston was being so careful, and Mo didn’t want to make any sudden moves, and then Brady got to him first. And I was grateful because I was ready to start a war when we found out it was an Ottawa guy. I was almost stupid and it would have been bad.”

“You think with your head most of the time, but sometimes your heart - your want to protect those you care about - can affect that. But it shows that you’re still human.”

“It would be easier if I was like Auston, or Willy, or Kappy, you know? They can just brush off what they order, or oversee, or carryout everyday. I provide the information that leads to those actions and I live with the guilt when we receive confirmation that it’s been carried out.”

“Keep that guilt,” Dylan replied, “it’ll keep you human. You aren’t supposed to be making easy decisions when it comes to torture or killing.

“Does it make me a bad person if I sometimes keep information from Auston?”

“You wouldn’t be the first Encyclopedia to keep information from their Captain.”

“I just… I wish I had had someone to train me for this. Robby has probably the best one in the business as his trainer.”

“You were born for this role.” Dylan replied firmly, “And, sure, Davo always thought you would be his Second but now he does what he can to keep you safe.”

“To get him to sign that treaty...they threatened my life, didn’t they?”

“...yeah,” Dylan admits softly, “Kardi told Auston it would get the desired result and it did.”

Mitch just nodded, not sure how he felt about it.

“Dylan, you can still get out.” Mitch pointedly didn’t look Dylan in the eye, “You can get out before we put the plan into motion and go to fucking war potentially. We don’t know who JT has on his side. We just know our plan, carefully shared with only the people who need to know.”

“I’m not leaving you behind.” Dylan sounded offended that Mitch thought he would take the out.

“Dylan, if this fails…”

“If this fails, you’ll need help getting to Edmonton.”

“Dylan -”

“I let you do a lot for Auston Matthews, but I refuse to let you die for him - or because of him.”

“It would be for the Family.”

“Do you play an actual part in the plan? Because if they don’t need you here to carry it out, then we could go to Edmonton. We make enough trips there to see Connor - no one would expect a thing. If it goes south...Mitchy, Connor would protect you. No one would ever hurt you and he would make it so that no one suspected you were part of it.”

“I can’t do that my friends, Dylan.” Mitch sounded pained, “Once we put it in motion, there’s no backing out and I can’t stay hidden away and safe in Edmonton while they put their lives at risk.”

“Where will you be, here, when it goes in motion?”

“In this house. Auston and Willy.... I’m not to leave once it’s started. Freddy is going to be right next to me until it’s done.”

“Then that’s where I’ll be.”

“Dylan, I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking me, I’m telling you. And at the hint that it’s going south, then I’m getting you out.”

And Mitch knows better than to argue, because he knows that Dylan will do what he has to get Mitch out, even if it means knocking the younger man unconscious.

“...There’s only seven of us that know the plane. It’ll be carried out by four of us. Freddy will be here with me. Zach can’t be seen being involved since the people who do business with us may not trust him if they know he was there. He helped me put the finer points on the plan. Auston, Willy, Kappy, and Brownie will be the ones actually enacting the plan.”

“Do you want to tell me what the plan is?”

“No. If you don’t know what the plan is you have deniability.”

“Hate to break it to you, Mitchy, but they’ll think I was involved regardless of outcome. Everyone knows that I would do anything for you.”

“It’ll work.”

“I know it will.” Dylan nodded, “Because it’s YOUR plan.”

“Shut up. I’m tired.” Mitch moved to lay down, smiling softly when Dylan matched the movement, letting the taller man loop an arm around his waist, “Being mad at Auston is exhausting.”

Dylan chuckled before letting his eyes close.

When Dylan wakes back up, Mitch is gone and Dylan sighs. Mitch never could nap properly, had a hard time staying still and letting his brain turn off. He knew there were nights that Mitch talked himself to sleep, nights when he slept in this room instead of the room he now shared with Auston so that he didn’t keep the other man away. Nights when things got bad and he called Connor to talk about anything other than work. Nights when Mitch couldn’t sleep. When the guilt of the things he had knowledge of replayed over and over in his head.

So Dylan stretched and stood up, opening the door and heading down to the kitchen.

“Sorry I snapped at you.” he heard Mitch say as he neared.

“I deserved it, Mitchy,” Auston responded, “you were right. If I want to be a leader, I have to act like one. And if we’re gonna do this, I have to be that. I talked to Kappy. He promised to be more careful or face your wrath. He’s on his way home now, Willy too.”

“We making our move soon?”

“Next week.” Auston replied.

“Dylan’s going to be here during it. I told him to go to Edmonton, that I’ll have Freddy here to protect me if needed, but he insisted. Said if it went south, he was getting my out of here - out Toronto, out of Ontario.”

“It’s not a bad idea, Mitchy….”

“I’m not leaving you. And if I’m in Edmonton when this goes down, people are going to assume Connor was involved. And I don’t want to put Connor in that position, to say whether or not he supported a coup.”

“He won’t have to. Everyone knows how much Connor adores you and supports you. It’ll be assumed.”

“I -”

“Mitchy, Connor supports you being a position of power and he supports anything that will ensure that you’re safe. He knows that I would die protecting you. He doesn’t know what Tavares would do to ensure your safety.”

“Matty, I love you and I am behind you one hundred percent,” Mitch replied, “even if you can’t always tell.”

“I know,” Auston smiled down at Mitch, “but it’s nice to hear it sometimes.”

Dylan smiled softly as Mitch grinned up at Auston. He may not always approve of Auston Matthews, may think that there’s a lot he needs to improve on, but if Mitch Marner can’t get him there, then no one would be able to. And he’s never seen anyone able to make Mitch smile like that - soft and genuine and warm and effortless. And that’s all Dylan needs to see to be on board with Auston Matthews. He has Mitch’s trust and faith and that’s enough.

He backs away from the kitchen when he sees Mitch pull Auston’s head down.

A week later, Auston, Kappy, and Willy head out - Brownie driving - and Freddie ushers Mitch (and by extension Dylan) up to the room farthest away from all the entrances of the house, also known as Auston’s private study.

“I want you to know that if this goes to shit, I’m getting Mitch out, regardless of your safety.” Dyan tells Freddy in a low voice as Freddy bolts the door behind them.

“There’s a hidden passage. Pull “War and Peace” on that bookshelf and it’ll slide open. If this goes to shit, take Mitch down it. It’ll take you to the garage, here’s the keys to the SUV with bulletproof glass.” Freddy responds, handing Dylan the car keys from his pocket.

“Why didn’t -”

“They wanted to make sure that if anything happened, Mitchy got out safe. Go straight to the small private airport, there will be a plane waiting there to take both of you straight to Edmonton.” Freddy replied, “If they are ambushed, then they know there’s a group of Tavares’ allies on their way here. You aren’t the only person who places Mitch’s safety as their top priority.”

Dylan nodded in response, not letting Freddy see him looking sheepish. He sometimes forgot that he wasn’t the only person in Toronto who cared about Mitchy.

The next few hours are nerve wrecking. Mitch spends them pacing, muttering what step of the plan is about to go into effect. Freddy makes frequent passes by the windows to make sure no unauthorized cars are coming up the drive, that no one who shouldn’t be there is on the grounds. And Dylan...Dylan doesn’t stray very far from the bookshelf passage.

“It should be done.” Mitch finally says, stopping his pacing, “And, if they succeeded, Brownie should be coming up the drive now.”

And Freddy put his hand up - telling Mitch to stay put - and went to the window. Sure enough, Brownie was driving up to the house and Willy, Kappy, and Auston spilled out looking for all the world like they didn’t just kill someone.

Mitch’s phone chirped with a text from Mo, “Keep him in line. He listens to you. Congrats, Kid, you’re officially the Second of the Toronto family.”

And Mitch took a deep breath, letting the new reality sink in. He would still be the pretty face on Auston’s arm, still be looked at as nothing more than the wife, but he had the power now. Because if there was one person in the universe who could make Auston do something with just the smallest flutter of his eyelashes, it was Mitchell Marner. All he had to do was ask and Auston would make it happen. He shared a quick look with Dylan, who knew exactly what he was thinking, and smiled before unlocking the office doors and flinging them open.

“Congrats, Captain.” he greeted from the upper balcony of the foyer as Auston entered the house.

“Couldn’t have done it without you, Mouse.” Auston responded earnestly.

Mitch just smiled and gave up all pretense of calm, running down the stairs and laughing joyfully as Auston caught him and spun him around, kissing him heatedly as Auston set him back down on his feet.

“I love you,” Mitch breathed out as they seperated.

“I love you, too, Mitch,” Auston responded, resting his forehead against the smaller man’s.

“Yes, yes, you love each other, Mitch’s brain is sexy, we’re in charge now,” Willy rolled his eyes, “Now that that’s done, can we please dinner?”

“Alexander’s on his way over,” Kappy looked up from his, “said he has dinner and Zach with him.”

“He make the dinner?” Willy asked, eyes bright with that possibility.

“Chinese.” Kappy replied, “But if I can convince him to stay the night, he’ll probably make food tomorrow.”

“And let me guys, you’re very convincing?” Mitchy teased, finally pulling back from Auston but not stepping far enough away from him that Auston’s arms fell from around him, “When did that happen?”

“When did what happen?” Willy asked, flicking a confused glance between Mitch and Kappy.

“Nothing,” Kappy replied much too quickly before heading into the house and upstairs to his room to wash the mission off and change, Willy following to try to annoy the answer to his question of the other man.

“What do you know?” Auston asked, expression affectionate and voice teasing as he laced their fingers together and followed the other two.

“Nothing aside from the fact that I walked in on them practically fucking before Kappy left for Arizona.”

“What?”

“I know. I wasn’t expecting it.”

“We can trust Alexander, right?”

“Alexander came here for Mo. Mo trusts us. Alexander trusts us. We can trust him. Also, he’s the only person Kappy lets call him ‘Kasperi’ so…” Mitch grinned up, “And maybe he can provide some sanity to Kappy’s life.”

Auston threw his head back and laughed at that. As they entered the Master bedroom, Auston tugged him gently toward the en suite, “Come shower with me.”

Mitch just laughed and let himself be pulled in, making a note of collecting the clothes that had been worn by all of them and burning them, just in case. Mitch had the precinct that would potentially be investigating in his pocket, and he had blackmail material if the first plan didn’t work, but burn the evidence couldn’t hurt just in case.

But that could wait, because power looked fucking good on Auston.


End file.
